


Chilled to the Bone

by embroiderama



Series: Not a One Night Stand [4]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-12 01:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embroiderama/pseuds/embroiderama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal has a bad day at work, so Peter takes him home and warms him up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chilled to the Bone

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [](http://cookielaura.livejournal.com/profile)[**cookielaura**](http://cookielaura.livejournal.com/) for [](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**fandom_stocking**](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/). (Yaaaay, this is my last stocking fic to post! :)) It's set in the same AU as my story [Not a One Night Stand](http://embroiderama.livejournal.com/546293.html), set after the [previous timestamp](http://embroiderama.livejournal.com/583473.html?thread=9791793#t9791793). In this AU, Peter's in the FBI and Neal's with the police.

Peter's phone rang as he left a meeting in Hughes's office, and he was surprised when he saw it was Neal calling. The temporary partner Neal was working with out in New Jersey gave him grief about making personal phone calls during work time, and Neal was still within his first year as a detective with the Transit Authority so he was reluctant to rock the boat. They normally tried to check in with each other at lunch time, but it didn't matter as much now that Neal had moved in since they got to see each other every evening once they were both off work. Curious and trying not to be too concerned, Peter answered the call.

"Hello there."

"Hi," Neal said, sounding miserable. "I have to ask you a favor."

"Of course. What's wrong?"

"I'm okay, but is there any chance you could come out here and give me a ride home?"

Neal took the subway and the PATH train to and from work, and he'd never asked for a ride before. "I--sure. But what happened?"

Neal sighed. "We were checking something out, and I slipped into a ditch next to some train tracks."

"Damn. Did you hurt yourself? Did you get checked out?"

"I didn't hurt myself, exactly, but there was about two feet of water with a thin crust of ice over it and, well--"

"You got soaked. I'm sorry. Do you need me to bring you some clothes to change into?"

"No, I had some here in my locker, but I'm freezing."

"And it's too cold outside, I get it. I just need to wrap up one thing, and then I'll be on my way. You'll be okay waiting?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you."

~~~

Peter called Neal when he was approaching the police station, and Neal met him out front, wearing a fresh suit but wrapped up in a blanket. He sighed with relief as he sat down in the warm car, and Peter unbuckled his seat belt to reach over and give Neal a kiss on lips that were surprisingly cold.

"You're still freezing! Are you sure I shouldn't take you to the hospital?"

"No, absolutely not. I didn't inhale water or anything, just got soaked in the world's nastiest ice bath." Neal shivered and wrapped his blanket more tightly around himself as he pulled on his seat belt. "It just takes me a while to warm up once I get that cold. It's like the cold is all the way inside me, in my bones."

"Okay. Okay." Peter turned the heater vents to all point at Neal then cranked it up another notch before pulling away from the curb. "When we get home, I'll make you some hot chocolate and see if I can help you warm up."

"Mmm, sounds good."

Neal was quiet for most of the drive home, but he roused as soon as Peter turned the car off. Peter put his arm around Neal's back as they hurried inside, and he could feel his boyfriend shivering hard, still. He clearly hadn't been kidding about taking a while to warm up. "Do you want to take a hot shower?"

Neal shook his head. "I already took one back in the locker room, and I've really had enough of being wet today."

"Okay, go get comfortable under the covers, then. I'll bring your cocoa in a few minutes."

"Thanks."

Peter watched Neal walk away, looking pathetic with his blanket still clutched around him, then went to their small kitchen to warm up some milk. He made it his own special way, mixing the cocoa powder and sugar with half a shot of liquor in the bottom of the mug, then stirring in the warm milk. In the bedroom, Peter found Neal huddled under the covers, and when Neal sat up Peter could see that he had on a college sweatshirt that was far too large for him. "Here, this should help warm you up."

Neal accepted the mug and took a sip then hummed in appreciation. "This is perfect. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome anyway." Peter sat down on top of the covers next to Neal, and when Neal was done with the cocoa Peter took the mug from him and put it on the bedside table. They sat together quietly for a few minutes, but then Neal shivered again. "You're _still_ cold?"

"I know, I know, the water was just really cold."

"Okay, I think it's time to try something else." Peter stood and took off his shoes then pulled off the rest of his clothes and set them on the chair.

Neal raised his eyebrows. "I'm not really in the mood right now."

"Hey, not everything's sex. Now, take off your clothes, too."

"I think I see where you're going. Okay." Neal squirmed under the covers and handed Peter his sweat pants, then pulled off the sweatshirt and shivered hard before slipping down under the covers. Peter pulled the extra quilt up from the foot of the bed then climbed under the covers. He nudged Neal to roll over onto his side then spooned up behind him and wrapped his arms around Neal, shivering a little bit himself at the shock of Neal's chilled skin against his. "You're so warm," Neal said as he relaxed into Peter's arms.

"I was lucky enough not to get dunked in ice water today."

"Mmm-hmm."

Peter held Neal's cold hands, and slowly Neal's shivers tapered off as Neal's skin warmed up against Peter's. "I love you," Peter said into the back of Neal's head, even though he wasn't sure if Neal was awake enough to hear it. "You know that?"

"Mmm-hmm." Neal nodded, rubbing his hair against Peter's face. "Love you, too."

Peter hugged Neal closer and kissed the warm, smooth skin at the back of his neck. He would have to get out of bed and check in with work eventually, but he was in no hurry. No hurry at all.

**Author's Note:**

> This story has a timestamp [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2166360/chapters/4737660).


End file.
